


Superstar

by mikochin



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, i dont even know, whats this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 18:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15587712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikochin/pseuds/mikochin
Summary: What would have happened if that time Hongbin ran away but no one took him back.





	Superstar

Hongbin always hates company dinner. Sure, he gets to eat expensive food for free and the seniors love him because he drinks well, but Hongbin hates seeing his female colleagues and juniors having to cook meat and pour drinks for the old farts, on top of getting borderline sexual harassments. He stares at his middle-aged manager sitting in front of him who is leaning onto a frightened young female intern with disgust, but unable to say anything. 

“Chaeyoung, please pour more drinks for Assistant Manager Lee!”

The manager must have caught him staring. Hongbin solemnly accepts the soju poured into his glass and groans internally. This is probably his eleventh shots tonight. And he doesn’t even like drinking alcohol. 

The people around the table claps accompanied with a chorus of oohs as he finishes his shot. 

“As expected, our handsome Assistant Manager Lee!”

Hongbin cringes at the nickname. If he could choose, he would rather go home early and sit through tens of rounds of Overwatch on his computer. With a cup noodles, and probably cold beer if he’s in the mood. Anything but fake laughing at misogynist jokes and inflating some guys’ ego while drinking unhealthy amount of alcohol that he has to lose by adding a few more sessions at the gym. It’s okay, he thinks to himself. This is what you have to endure to be able to go about the promotion rank.

This is what Hongbin has been doing for four years and here he is now. Being an asisstant manager isn’t exactly something to brag about, but for someone his age, it’s quite an accomplishment. If he compares himself to his fellow university graduates, that is.

“But really, our Hongbin is so handsome,” one of his senior muses. “Your girlfriend must be very pretty.”

Hongbin doesn’t see the correlation, but he answers anyway. The female juniors are all looking at him with full interest. “I don’t have any, Hyung.”

Some girls actually giggle.

“Eh, with that face, I bet he’s going home with different girl every night!”

“Oooh!”

Can the floor just swallow him whole right now? “No, I’m not….”

Someone chimes in. “I heard he was an idol trainee before.”

“Really?”

Hongbin stops fiddling with his glass. He almost stops breathing entirely. He doesn’t like this. He doesn’t like talking about this.

“Which company was it?”

“Was it SM? JYP?”

“Do you know any celebrities then?”

“So you can sing well? Should we continue to karaoke right now?”

“Ooh good idea!”

“Can you dance? B-boying?”

“Hey, introduce me to your pretty fellow trainees.”

Thankfully, the Head of Division, his dear boss, steps in right before Hongbin feels like exploding. “Hey, hey, stop pestering Assistant Manager Lee. It was all in the past. He chose to be with us now.”

Hongbin smiles gratefully to him and nods frantically. “Past.”

The crowd gives up finally, and are focusing on other topic and jokes Hongbin doesn’t have any interest to follow. He feels relieved.

“By the way, Hongbin,” his boss gestures to him, “can I ask you a favor?”

Hongbin feels blood drained from his face. What is this? Is his boss asking him for personal favor because of his idol connection?

“So….”

And then Hongbin realizes the worst thing: he is almost ready to do all the thing his boss asks if it means securing his promotion. He truly is the slave to capitalism.

***  

Turns out the “favor” his boss asked of him isn’t any of the funny business, but attending a music festival in place of him as the company division representative.

“My wife would kill me if I bail out of our anniversary dinner plan,” he explained. His face looking all worried, and Hongbin wondered if marriage life were entirely that scary. “You would do fine as a substitute. The CEO probably would be a little upset that I don’t show up, but at least she would be accompanied with a pretty boy. She’d love that.”

And really, what would Hongbin say other than yes? It’s not that hard. He just has to wear nice clothes and walking around looking pretty.

“Besides, you had trained as an idol, right? You’d know how to behave and charm people. I’m counting on you.”

So here Hongbin is, wearing tuxedo suit and a bow tie, sitting beside his company CEO and enjoying the show. 

Hongbin has learned about the CEO the night before in order to be able to carry a conversation but in reality, she doesn’t even talk to him that much. She appreciates his look, Hongbin realizes, because he saw her giving him a once over and looking satisfied. And that’s all it takes, really.

What Hongbin has not learned is the music festival itself, because calling it a festival is such an understatement. It is a mega concert, featuring all the hottest stars in Korean music industry, including idols.

Hongbin only learns what he’s getting into when the stage turns dark and there, standing under the dramatic spotlight, is Cha Hakyeon.

 *** 

His manager has warned him several times beforehand about this festival.

“You have to do your best because the important people from the big companies are all here. If you do well, you will secure at least one advertisement contract, if not more.”

“Oh, Hyung,” Hakyeon watches himself on the mirror, fixing a few strands of hair, “You didn’t have to tell me. I always do my best, even it’s just for a school festival.”

And Hakyeon always does, even today, on the big stage, under the scrutiny of millions of people watching him perform live or over the screen. He has perfected his performance maybe hundreds of times in the practice room, and another hundred on his own mind. He has checked the stage, fitted the outfits, and even made sure his own body condition is healthy thoroughly. Hakyeon always comes prepared. That’s one of the reason he is at where he is now.

But when he rounds the corner of the hallway from his waiting room to go to the toilet, for the first time of many years, Hakyeon splutters and loses his composure. 

When Hakyeon hears “important people” he has been expecting CEOs, government officials, and other big names from the music industry that he has to perform for and win over. 

Hakyeon isn’t prepared to meet Lee Hongbin.


End file.
